The Traveler
by Jarikon
Summary: This is a story about parallel Universes. In each Universe, there is one of everyone, except for the Gifted, a race of supernatural human beings. There is only one of that Gifted. This is an 8 book series. This book is of a teleporter named Kabe Garenth.
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

**Chapter One:**

**Discovery**

Kabe Garenth was an ordinary man. He had an excellent job an inventor, a loving wife, two beautiful daughters, a wonderful son, and a secret. A secret no one, not even him (yet) knew. It was a secret that would change his life forever. It all started one day…

Kabe loved to chat every day with his old college buddies. They lived in all sorts of places: some moved to all over Texas, some to many places in Alaska, others to Chicago, and more. He, on the other hand, lived about an hour away from Central Park in New York City, and missed them all. So, he chatted with them on the computer, via MSN Messenger, every day.

One day, when chatting with his best friend, Beck Turner, another window popped up on Kabe's computer. It was another MSN Messenger box, but the name and e-mail address were completely unknown to him. There was a message from this person whom Kabe obviously did not know. The name read Mysterious Person, the address reading The message simply read, in a beautiful teal cursive: "Hello, Kabe."

_How does this guy know my name, if we most likely never met?_ Kabe thought to himself. As if this person knew what Kabe was thinking, he responded, saying: "We never have met, but I've known you longer than you yourself have."

_Yeah, right, _Kabe thought, and closed the window. He started to chat with Beck once again, when the box reappeared.

_What is this guy's deal?_ he thought. Mysterious Person simply wrote: "You cannot escape me, Kabe. I will keep haunting you until you talk."

Again, Kabe closed the box, ignoring what was just said, and continued to talk to Beck. Mid-way through an excellent conversation, Mysterious Person returned. He again typed a simple message, but with more aggravation this time (and in normal writing): "KNOCK IT OFF, 'KABEY'! YOU NEED TO STOP SHUTTING ME OUT!"

Kabe couldn't believe what he was seeing. Only he and his first best friend (who died of lung cancer when the two of them were 12) knew that name. His friend, James Naple, called him that, as they were kids. Yet, here was this person calling him by a name Kabe knew this guy could not have known.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kabe typed as his message. He sent it immediately.

"I'm someone who will change your life," the message replied. "That's all you need to know, for now. However, if you wish to know more, meet me at the 'Red-Leaf Tree of Doom' in Central Park in one hour."

Kabe was struck dumb yet again. This stranger had said another name in his message that only Kabe and James could know. _Who the fuck is this guy?_ Kabe thought to himself.

He sat there, thinking, for a couple of minutes (though it seemed, to him, like hours), before he saw that above the conversation between him and Mysterious Person, in the same box, there sat the words "This person may not reply to any further messages, for this person appears to be offline." (This was highlighted by a yellow strip, and before/after the message was an exclamation point inside a triangle) he didn't realize that this had happened, that this Mysterious Person had been offline for any time at all. He told Beck that he had to go take care of something, and immediately signed off before Beck could send a reply.

He pulled a coat off the coat rack next to the front door, threw it on, and ran out the door. As soon as he touched the sidewalk, he slowed to a walk, thinking that he would make it on time.

Apparently, he was late, for when he got there, a voice said (with much sarcasm), "You're late, 'Kabey'."

Without even turning around, Kabe knew that this was the guy he talked to in the chat room.

"Who are you, really? And how do you know what could not possibly be known?" he said. He turned around, and almost vomited in disgust. This man looked to be about 41, three years older than Kabe, yet had pale white hair. His eyes were a piercing aqua, which repeatedly looked as if ice and fire passed through them. His skin was a pale gray, mixed with a vomiting green, as if he were petrified and sick at the same time. He wore simply an open, long, black trench coat, and a pair of black, gothic pants, with many linked chains connected everywhere along his pants. But the most disgusting part about this man was the facts that he had hundreds of deep gashes and scars all over his chest. Seeing this was what brought the taste of vomit into Kabe's mouth.

"Like I said before," the gray-skinned man said to Kabe, "I am someone who has always known you. I have watched you since birth, waiting until you were ready.

"Ready for what?" Kabe asked. The more he looked at this man, the more frighteningly familiar he looked. Kabe tried hard to see if he could remember whom this man was, and why he seemed familiar.

"You have only seen me once before, a very long time ago," the man replied, as if, one again, he could read Kabe's mind. "My name is Gregory Porinté. And the reason I am calling you here is to tell you who you really are. You are Kabe Garenth, born April 24th, 1997. You have a scar on the right side of the back of your neck. You lost your virginity at the age of 14 to a 17-year old girl named Kathryn Byrnes, who still thinks that you are two years older than her. Your first best friend, and greatest friend, James Naple, died at the age of 12, from an unknown source of lung cancer. And last, but not least, you are a Gifted."

"Hey, I am not mentally retarded, you asshole! And how the hell do you know all this?" Kabe thought that this was what he meant, and it obviously made him angry.

"Not a gifted person, you idiot. A Gifted. A being who is different from all others. To give you an example, have you ever heard of a movie called "_The One"_, starring Jet Li?"

"Yes…" Now, Kabe was starting to lose interest.

"Well, they talk about multiple universes. And, the truth is, there are…"

"Let me guess, there actually are multiple universes? And if you say that, then I know that you're lying, because there is only one universe, consisting of all galaxies (and all in them). Sorry, but science is never wrong!" Kabe was a straight-A student, and was in college-level science classes in middle school. He knew what he was talking about, or so he thought.

"Sorry to ruin your 'moment of triumph', but science is wrong. Science says that man cannot fly on their own, that man cannot create fire from their very bodies, and that man cannot bend the elements to his will. Well, guess what: I can do all those things I just said. And yes, there are multiple universes. However, there are only about eight of them. At least, that I know of.

"Each universe has one of each person. There is one copy of your mother, one copy of your father, one copy of your best friends, in each universe, except for us. There is only one copy of each Gifted descendant, period. You will never find yourself in another universe, so long as you are alive.

"Now, stop all your fucking cockiness, because it's really starting to piss me off. Let's go, now. We have to get back to the Gifted Universe, where all Gifted originated from. Quickly, before it is destroyed." Kabe was starting to notice that Gregory was, in fact, becoming irritated. He was beginning to believe him, but science wasn't letting him.

"Why do I have to go with you? With that, why are you telling me all this?" Kabe also was starting to become irritated with this whole situation.

"Because," Gregory said, "a Gifted is only told about their destiny when the Gifted Universe is to be attacked by an enemy that is weakened by at least one of that Gifted's power. Yours is needed now, Kabe Garenth. You have the ability to use all forms of teleportation, including one your enemy can use: the Demon Teleportation. It allows the user to enter a dimension, similar to ours, but that shows only what the user wishes to see (in a non-moving transparent way). They can do nearly anything they want, while in that dimension. So, they could stick their hand through someone's chest (while in that dimension), and then reappear in our dimension, with the hand still in that person's chest, killing them.

"You can go into that dimension, where your enemy is most vulnerable. They normally wear very protective shields, but their armor cannot pass into the dimension. Their skin is very weak, an advantage you must not take lightly. Even though they are weakened without their armor, they are still very powerful, so be very careful.

"Look, Kabe. I realize how this all seems like nonsense, but it unfortunately is not. This is the terrifying truth. Trust me, it takes a while to accept. It took me 13 years to accept my fate. An absence of a decision that I have regretted to this day. Don't make the same mistake of taking too long to accept your fate."

"Just one more thing. If what you're saying is true, and I do have supernatural powers, why haven't I been able to use these powers?" Kabe was beginning to understand, but he still lingered onto his stubborn side.

"Because," Gregory continued, "before a Gifted is shipped off to another universe, a mental device is attached to the back of their skull. Only those Gifted who can use any form of technology can plant it on or remove it. There's only one alive today that I know of. Jakote Carpeto. Now, let's go. Cante can only create one portal a day. And, seeing as to the fact that his portals can travel only one person per portal, you're going to need to help.

_Aha! he just trapped himself,_ Kabe thought. _If this "Cante" dude can transport only one, then there's no way we can get through it together. I'll make him go through, then, if he's even telling the truth, I'll be free of having to do anything._

"Wrong again, Kabe," Gregory said. "I've got all the psychic powers, so that means I can read your mind. All I need to do is open your mind a bit, and you can increase the strength of the portal to carry us both. Telepaths can do that, even if the Gifted still has the device on their head. Now, hold still."


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening

**Chapter Two:**

**Awakening**

With just a few words, Kabe was told to go with a man he had literally just met. He was stupefied. He was just told that he wasn't the man he thought he was, and gave him oral evidence, telling him things that were too hard to make up. But happened next was the visible proof he needed to believe the man.

When Gregory was a boy, he was told the same exact story that Kabe was told by Gregory himself. He, too, could not believe it. He refused to, and the man whom told Greg left him to figure it out, but without his mental device.

Twenty years after he was told, Gregory Porinte walked down the sidewalk that coincided with a strip mall, in the Ganto Universe. Each store had glass windows, which Gregory looked through as he walked by them. He stopped at the entrance to a fairly long alley.

_Maybe it's time I see if the old shit head was telling the truth, _he thought. And that is just what he did. He thought it would be nice to try out his "powers", if he had any. He looked around to find an easy target.

After a while, he found just what he thought he needed: a scrap of paper on the ground. If he had any powers, he didn't want to overstress it. So, he focused his mind on lifting that scrap of paper.

And, for a while, it was working. The paper lifted about two feet off the ground, amazing Gregory, and telling him that the old man was telling the truth. However, that is where things went horrible. Not only was the scrap of paper floating off the ground now, so was everything else in the alley.

And that was only the start. After a while, the floating objects caught on fire, the televisions in the electronics store began to spark out of control and explode, Gregory began to see through the eyes of thousands of people, and more.

Gregory was found to be agape. There are very few words to describe the horror Gregory felt he was witnessing. All he wanted now was for this to stop. _Stop this,_ he thought. _Stop it. Stop it_—"NOW!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. He was now huddled over on the ground, in agog. He was terrified, now.

Nevertheless, his wish was about to come true. It started to end slowly, in the reverse order it began. The sights he was seeing slowly returned to the people who saw those sights, the televisions were retaining their shape, the burnt items, now ashes, slowly fell to the ground, and everything else was returning to normal. He was still shaking fairly violently, until a familiar voice said to him, "I don't think that you want to do that again, unless you receive the proper training. Then, and only then, can you try again. Now, I'll ask again, will you help us?"

A sudden wave of courage filled Gregory. He was no longer shaking, but now he stood up slowly, and faced the man who spoke to him. With a calm voice, he replied, "Let's just get this over with." He grew tired of waiting, now. It was time he accepted his destiny.

53 years, and many troubling battles, later, Gregory Porinte was now looking at a man who resembled his own rebellion. However, he was not going to allow this nonsense to happen again.

Kabe was also thinking around the same thing. However, he was thinking that he wouldn't allow this to continue. So, he would end this here and now, by backing away. With a single motion, he told Gregory that he was not going to follow.

Of course, this made Gregory very furious. "**WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" **he yelled out, anger beginning to consume him. Now was when Kabe's doubt left him, for he could see that the gashes running along Gregory's body all gave him the black look. He, now, was aghast, so much that he began to back up in fear. He continued to back up, until he tripped on a tree root.

As he fell, he began to feel all his weight slowly dissipate. And as this was occurring, he began to see visions of things he didn't think were possible. He saw the very things that Gregory had described to him, the most hideous beasts' mankind could possibly think of. He saw himself, and others, battling these beasts, battling with what he thought were their very lives. He saw these things, and much more.

Without warning, he abruptly halted. He had been expecting a hard landing, but he just stopped. He looked around him, to find that he was suspended about a foot off of the ground. He then looked to Gregory, to see that his left pinky was pointed in Kabe's direction. "Please," he said. "This takes no effort at all, Kabe. Now, stop wasting time, and hold still. The more you struggle, the tighter the telekinesis holds you, and it will eventually kill you."

_It's time to finally bring him home,_ Gregory thought, as Kabe hovered above the ground. He walked over to Kabe, until he was at his head. _Now for the hard part_, he thought. He placed hi hands around Kabe's head, without actually touching it, and concentrated. He concentrated on placing images into Kabe's mind, on how to teleport, how to conserve energy, and examples of what he will face.

These images were distractions, so that Kabe would not realize that Gregory's intention was really to find the frontal lobe in his cerebral cortex. It is here that he would find the temporary "power switch" to Kabe's powers. As soon as he opened them, Kabe would be able to open the portal.

After a bit of multitasking, Gregory finally found what he was looking for. He used his telepathic abilities to open the frontal lobe as much as possible. At first, it was to no avail. Then, gradually growing faster, it began to open until the hole was the size and shape of a penny. _There,_ Gregory thought to himself. _That's as big as it's gonna get._

After he finished, Gregory disconnected his mind from Kabe's. He slowly straightened Kabe back up, until they were both standing straight, looking at each other. He realized that Kabe was now in a trance-like state, and nodded at him, as if to say, _You know what to do, Kabe_

Kabe did not respond, due to the trance-like state he was in. he simply walked over to the tree, then walked around it until he stopped at an opening at the trunk of the tree, where he and his friend hung out. They had declared it their 'secret fortress". Yet, there was no longer a fortress inside, not because the imagination died with James, but because something else lay inside the tree. It was a swirl of pinks, purples, and reds, and it slowly rotated in a clockwise manner. It was the portal Gregory had spoken of. Somehow, Kabe knew exactly what to do. He walked closer to the portal, until he was less than arm length away from it.

What happened next will be hard to explain, but I'll try my best. He reached his hand into the portal, closed his eyes, and began to hum. He hummed a tune that he had never heard, yet he was humming it like he'd heard it a thousand times. And while he humming, the portal glowed brighter than it had before, until it was almost blinding.

Suddenly, the center of the portal began to open, in the same way that Kabe's mind was. It grew and bigger and bigger, until the portal itself was a border. And through the hole being made, you could see another world, instead of the inner parts of the tree. A world where the streets were of a worn-out gold color. The houses ranged from colors of yellow and brown to gold and silver. People walked by, not paying attention to the portal. Kids ran around, playing games that are foreign to our world, their lips moving without sound being heard. All this and more, yet everything looked both more advanced and more like old Arabia at the same time.

And in the distance, an enormous castle could be seen atop a mountain taller than Mount Everest. It ranged of colors between jade, gold pearl, silver, diamond, and bronze, the entrance being all those colors mixed together to create a most beautiful color. It was magnificent, and yet it was so enormous. Think of the Palace from Disney's _Aladdin_, only ten times the size, and of a form crossing Aladdin's palace with the temple form the movie _Alien vs. Predator_. That was what the castle looked like.

Once the hole became as big as I said before, Kabe pulled his hand out. He was no longer in a trance, so he could now glorify what he was seeing. Gregory walked up to him and said only three words, "Magnificent, isn't it?"

"You were right after all, old man," Kabe replied, still staring at the city. "It's too glorious to describe."

"Well then," said Gregory, slapping a hand on Kabe's shoulder, "welcome to your true home. Let's go, shall we? Jakote's waiting for us as the castle… Yes, we get to go inside it. Now, come on." And with a slight kick, they jumped through the portal, and right into the same place they were just looking at.

It was now that Kabe could hear the new world, could hear birds singing in heavenly voices, Kids playing the strange games, and the soft humming of vehicles that hovered a couple hundred feet above him. He was awe-struck.

"All right, Kabe," Gregory said, as if the city was nothing too special, "You've had your look. Time to go see your techno-doctor."


	3. Chapter 3: Freedom at Last

**Chapter Three**

**Freedom at Last**

**Kabe stared at the sight before him, not believing a single thing. His eyes were not failing him, as much as he hoped they did. Cars floated weightlessly above them, racing to their destinations in perfect lines, even though they had no roads near them. The streets were paved in gold, quite literally indeed. Even the houses wore tarnished gold all over their outside walls. All this and more loomed above Kabe, frozen by the beauty of this glorious city.**

**Gregory, too, looked around at the streets before them, and said with a heavy breath, "Ah, it's good to be home. Yes, Kabe I had this same reaction the first time I saw the Gifted Universe. However, we must depart. Let's go."**

**Without a word, Kabe followed Gregory to what appeared to be a bus stop. The word "appeared" is used due to the fact that it was styled like a normal bus stop, but looked nothing like any he'd ever seen. The bench was literally floating off the ground, due to silver orbs placed on top of golden poles at each corner of the vermillion-colored bench. The orbs emitted an anti-gravitational energy powerful enough to suspend the seat around half a foot off the ground.**

**The two of them waited, sitting down on the weightless bench, for more than twenty minutes, when the bus arrived. Like all other vehicles Kabe had seen, it hovered above them, before settling to the ground like a jet. The bus was completely tinted black, even the windows, so Kabe barely noticed the door open. Instead of a normal bus door, this porthole rotated clockwise, with the wall facing Kabe and Gregory. The rotating wasn't very loud, yet it was still noticeable.**

**When it stopped, Gregory walked forward to the bus, and Kabe followed without so much as a thought entering his mind. They stepped through the empty space that was the door, and heard it rotate once more, in the opposite direction. **

**Kabe walked up the stairs of the bus, to stop and admire the look of it. The seats, just like the bench, were hovering above the floor. The aisles were lit perfectly, so no one could possibly fall. And if that was not enough, this bus had two floors, each with normal seats and beds to sleep on.**

**Suddenly, a voice shouted at him: "Hey, you gettin' on, or are ya simply gonna stand there like a moron? I ain't got all day!!"**

**Kabe looked over to where the voice came from, and was disgusted yet again. This man made Goths look like pretty fairies, for his make-up made him look paler than a fresh piece of paper, his piercings were far more numerous than man could ever possibly imagine, his pants wore chains probably equaling twenty tons, and his eyes were cold enough to freeze you alive with a single glance.**

**Stuttering with every word, he choked out, "Umm…Y-yeah…Sorry…about…that…"**

**He began to fear the worst, when Gregory walked up to the driver and calmly said, "Leave him alone, Cartré. He's brand-new. …You probably didn't like it when others talked to you like that, right?"**

**The driver glared at Gregory with eyes more fierce than Kabe had seen before. "Don't try me, Greg. I'll fuckin' make ya head explode! I'll do it this time!"**

"**You never have, and you never will. What would Father do to you if you did? …We both know your threats are empty, so cut it out and be nice."**

**The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours, unblinking, with Cartré glaring at a blank-faced Gregory, when Cartré suddenly gave in. He quickly turned to Kabe, making Kabe wince, and (with a smile that was far too obviously a mockery) said, "Please find a seat, sir. We will be taking off soon."**

**Kabe was a little frightened, but he and Gregory found an empty two-seated row, and sat down. When the bus began to move again, he leaned over to Gregory and whispered, "Brothers?"**

"**Yes," Gregory replied, "though I hate when he calls me 'Greg'. He's from the Helony Universe, where that look is usually seen among humans. But don't worry. You'll see it first-hand. …He's a telekinetic, since you were wondering."**

**Not ten minutes later, the bus landed, and Kabe heard Cartré's voice coming out of speakers lined along the ceiling: "We are FINALLY at the Gifted Palace now. All who are departing at this stop, please exit in an orderly fashion. Thank you!" **

**Though Kabe could tell Cartré hated having to speak kindly to anyone, he made no comment or chuckle. He simply stood up, with Gregory, and walked out the bus. On the way out, Cartré said, in further mocking-kindness, "Have a nice time here, new guy!" Gregory glared back at him, only to see Cartré shrug in "innocence".**

**They got to within a hundred yards of the entrance, when a man who looked a little like Obi-Wan Kenobi from **_**Star Wars**_** approached them. He wore the same tan-brown robes, and had nicely groomed brown hair, but that was where the similarities ended. He wore a green polo shirt and green jeans under the robe, no facial hair, and orange eyes that glinted off the hint of an inner flame. Though his appearance made him look older and far wiser than Kabe, his smile was like that of a man seeing his grandchildren for the first time, yet also gave him more youthful aura around him. Kabe knew immediately who this man would be.**

"**Jakote, my dear old friend," Gregory said with a cheerfulness that completely caught Kabe off-guard. "You haven't aged a bit."**

"**Nor have you, young Gregory," the man replied with a voice as soothing as his smile. **

_**I thought it was he**_**, thought Kabe, standing there like a man whose friend rudely wanders into a conversation with another, without introductions.**

**Gregory must have felt that from Kabe, for he turned to him and said, "Jakote, allow me to introduce the 'newest' member to the Gifted family: Mr. Kabe Garenth."**

"**Please," Kabe said with an upheld hand, "Mr. Garenth was my father. I'm just…Kabe."**

**Jakote took Kabe's hand as if it were offered to shake, and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kabe. As it is with all my 'customers'." With that last word, he chuckled slightly, to hint a bit of a joke.**

**As if to an hour-long silence, Gregory suddenly blurted out, "Well, you two have so much to do right now, and I always just get in the way. Kabe, when you're finished, meet me in my quarters. There is more we must discuss."**

**Kabe nodded, and followed Jakote to the indescribable entrance to the palace. Gregory watched them for half a minute, then walked off in a different direction.**

**While walking, Jakote noticed that Kabe was still mesmerized by everything around him. **

"**Hmph," he said. "You know, when I showed this world to Gregory, his reaction was just like yours…He couldn't believe his eyes."**

"**Yeah, he told me…Wait, what do you mean 'when I showed him'?"**

"**I was his teacher, all those years ago. I made him the man he is today…Well, excluding the battle experiences…"**

"**Battle exp…never mind. I think I get what you're talking about."**

"**Good. Now then, shall we?"**

**They continued on, until reaching the doors. Suddenly Kabe asked, "What time is it here?"**

**Jakote looked at his watch. "About a quarter after two. Why?"**

"**Ah, 2:15. Please don't say-"**

"**No," he interrupted. "Not 2:15. 2:25. If it were 2:15, I'd have said it was fifteen after."**

**Kabe was about to argue, when something hit him. "Time is different here, isn't it?"**

"**Very good, Kabe," replied Jakote. "I didn't even have to explain. Yes, a day here is one of your 'hours' longer. So, it is 1500 minutes long, which we have shortened into fifteen 'paakots'. A paakot is our hour."**

"**Ah, now I'm starting to get it…" Though his tone said otherwise.**

**They entered through the doors, and Kabe got his first look at the inside of the palace. Gold, silver, pearl, and diamond glittered all the walls. People walked to various destinations, some disappearing completely (which Kabe only guessed to be teleportation). Two decorative beasts that Kabe had never seen similarity to guided the path to a staircase, the end of which he couldn't see.**

**However, he realized he was looking like a fool, and so he finally regained his normal, professional posture, and followed Jakote to his office. It was small, like a doctor's office, yet painted with gold. It also looked a little like a medieval castle room, with advanced technology decorating every wall. Some things he recognized, such as a device that was similar to a stethoscope, another that resembled a blood pressure cuff, and one other that was somewhat like a thermometer. Some things he couldn't guess at if his life depended on it.**

**Jakote silently gestured to a doctor's bed in the center of the room. Kabe lay down in the bed, resting his head on a cone-like plate with a hole on the side. He guessed it would be for the cap to be removed.**

"**All right, now," Jakote said, sitting down upon a hovering chair. "This is going to feel very strange…I think." Again, he chuckled, as if to lighten the mood. He then added, "Simply relax, Kabe."**

**Kabe closed his eyes, and no sooner than he did, a golden yellow flash filled the room. He could hear Jakote chanting in a language he'd never heard before. Suddenly, he felt something loosen its grip on his head, and his eyes were opened quickly. He felt an urge to look at his hands, and what he saw horrified him.**

**Slowly yet surely, hands began to disintegrate like dust, floating upwards then disappearing into nothing. Every piece of dust that flowed from him gave a sharp, stinging pain, and he cried out in a voice so loud and painful, it couldn't possibly be his own. **

**After only a few seconds of this pain, however, Jakote suddenly realized what was happening, and instinctively grabbed Kabe's hands. Upon doing this, Kabe's hands slowly regained their exact form, until they looked exactly the same. His hands looked like nothing had happened to them.**

"**Don't want you leaving us without some training just yet," Jakote said, as a joke. Kabe was not even going to attempt to laugh this time, but instead he just stared at his hands. He never heard Gregory enter.**

**He only heard Gregory say, "Let's go. The training will now begin."**

"…**Wh…Wh…What training?"**

"**Teleportation training."**

…**To find out the rest, read **_**The Traveler **_**by Jordan Galle, release date unknown.**


End file.
